Tuesday

ROUND EIGHT of the NRL kicked off on Friday night with the St George Illawarra Dragons downing the Penrith Panthers by 28-16 in a scrappy encounter at Kogarah. It was more relief amongst Saints fans with their team having lost their previous five clashes. Penrith have now lost five on the trot. The result sees the Dragons move up to 13th spot on six points and just two points out of the top eight. The Panthers find themselves sharing the cellar on four competition points and have plenty of work to do. Meanwhile, reigning premiers the Brisbane Broncos snared a much needed two competition points with a narrow 8-4 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Lang Park. The Rabbitohs maintain a top eight spot on eight points while the 12th-placed Broncos are not far away on six points.

Saturday rugby league took us to Auckland where the Cronulla Sharks came back to snatch a 22-20 victory over the New Zealand Warriors. Despite the loss, the Warriors are still in the top four on 10 points but the Sharks are not far away on eight points. Meanwhile in Gosford, Wests Tigers posted the upset of the round in downing competition leaders the Melbourne Storm by a whopping 30-12. The Storm remain on 14 points but slip to second place courtesy of the points differential. Wests Tigers are now in seventh place on eight points. Saturday night concluded in Parramatta with the Eels defeating the last-placed Sydney Roosters by 28-10. The improving Eels are in 10th spot and in touch with the top eight. The Roosters have only posted the one win this year and look destined for the wooden spoon.

Sunday football saw the Manly Sea Eagles thump the Raiders by 46-30 in a high scoring affair in Canberra. The Sea Eagles are now enjoying top spot on the NRL ladder with 14 points. The Raiders are on the lower rung of six points. Later the same day, the Canterbury Bulldogs disposed of the Newcastle Knights with a 30-16 win in Homebush. The Bulldogs have eight points and eighth spot while the Knights are also on eight points but have slipped out to 11th place.

Round eight of the NRL wrapped up on the Gold Coast on Monday night with the North Queensland Cowboys posting an impressive 24-10 win over the Titans. The Titans have dropped ninth spot and eight competition points while the Cowboys are well placed in third position and 12 points.